The Haitian Football Federation (FHF) has announced the official launch of a dedicated Youth Football Department, a landmark institutional move crafted to align the country’s grassroots football ecosystem with global development guidelines set by FIFA and the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).
This new governing body is the centerpiece of FHF’s long-term strategic vision to rebuild and strengthen the foundational structure of Haitian football. By delivering structured, inclusive, and sustainable support to emerging young players across the country, the department aims to nurture a new pipeline of competitive talent that can compete at both the regional and global stages, building a more resilient future for Haitian football.
The Youth Football Department has been assigned five core strategic responsibilities to deliver on its mandate. First, it will roll out a unified national youth football development policy that matches international best practices and regulatory standards. Second, it will build a standardized scouting and training network to identify, register, and track the progress of promising young talent from all regions of Haiti. Third, it will coordinate with local regional and departmental leagues to organize and standardize youth competitions across the country, ensuring all events adhere to official regulatory frameworks. Fourth, the department will oversee the training and deployment of Haiti’s national youth youth teams for all continental and global tournaments hosted by FIFA and CONCACAF. Finally, it will lead the establishment of a new National Youth Football League, identified as a critical pillar for sustained long-term growth of the sport in Haiti.
Alongside the official creation of the department, FHF has announced the full leadership roster for the new entity. Fleurant Antoine will serve as President of the department, with Saint Surin Richard stepping into the role of Vice-President. Ricardo Pierre-Louis has been appointed Department Coordinator, while Vanessa Gabriel Michel Jean will take on the critical post of Safeguarding Officer, focused on athlete protection. Katia Saint-Gilles rounds out the leadership team as a core department member.
In announcing the initiative, FHF emphasized that the new department reaffirms the federation’s commitment to embedding international best practices across all levels of Haitian football. The organization highlighted four core priorities that will guide the new department’s work: ongoing skills training for young players, comprehensive protection of youth athletes, upholding integrity in all operations, and pursuing sustained sporting excellence across all national youth programs.